Registration
Sucking up your pride, you head over to meet Qilin at the Tanxiang Inn. It is a reputable place, not too expensive and not too cheap; the sort of lodgings that do not attract much attention. The inn is packed with pugilists, drinking and revelling in the main hall. The two of you make your way up the stairs, where you find that your rooms are opposite each other.
You endure her smugness when passing over your money. At the price she charges, at the end of the tournament you would have barely anything left. “A pleasure doing business with you, Young Master Guan,” she smiles. She opens the door to your room. As you step forward, her arm shoots out, barring your way. “Hold on. I need to disable the traps,” she says with a serious face. You raise an eyebrow and step back, allowing her to do so. She checks the corners of the door frame carefully and removes several strings. Then, she heads further into the room and starts poking around the table and the bed. After a few minutes, she nods in satisfaction and beckons you in.
Slightly wary, you enter the room.
“Don’t be nervous,” laughs Qilin. “You’re a customer now. I don’t kill my customers. It’d be bad for my reputation.” She skips over to the door and closes it shut before slowly turning to face you. “Now that we’re alone, Xu Jing, tell me your true reason for being here.”
“I’m here to compete,” you say flatly. “Aren’t you worried about having your competition stay across from you?”
“Who said I was competing with you?” Her eyes twinkle. “You do have an inkling about where I’m from, right?” You nod. “Guizhou is the base of the Wudu Cult. Is your father the Scarlet Scorpion and sub-leader of the Cult, Chi Tianxie?” Qilin grins widely. “It looks like you’ve been doing some studying. Where did you find that out?”
You had heard Master Zhang mention the Scarlet Scorpion in passing once, and immediately made the connection. “Oh, I keep an ear out for people who might want to poison me in the street.” Qilin pouts. “It was just that one time! Anyway, if you know that much, you should know that winning an orthodox tournament is rather low on the list of priorities for a respected member of the cult like I am.”
“Ah, so it’s that, then?” you say.
“Of course it’s that. This is a good place for a practical test, with so many different experts running around. The competitors will be a good sample for my experiment on how different poisons interact with different types of inner strength.”
You clear your throat. “I hope it’s not of the… lethal variety?”
Qilin looks offended, her nostrils flaring in a snort. “Please, do you think I would do something like that for a test? It’s a waste of good poison. A smart girl like me can extrapolate the effects of a poison based on its mildest symptoms and the dosage I used. It won’t even affect their performance at all. I am an expert, you know.”
“You do know I could just go to the committee and tell them everything you just told me.”
“You can try,” smiles the girl sweetly. “Do you know the second motto of the Wudu Cult?”
“The first one was that profit determines your allies, right?”
“That is correct. The second is this: ‘Anyone who crosses us will die gruesomely’. The Wudu Cult has never failed to make good on that promise. We are masters of poison. I dare say that our training allows us to infiltrate anyplace in the world. Perhaps not overnight, but we can always get our eyes and ears and fingers where they are needed, given time. The only thing stopping us from poisoning, say, the Emperor, or the heads of all the Eight Sects, is because there is no profit in it for us. Everyone knows that.”
“Which means you would do it If there was a profit.”
“Perhaps, but I doubt it. My father says that the balance of things as they are right now benefits the cult perfectly, and there should be no need to break it. In that case I don’t think there is any price high enough to entice us to do such a thing.”
“But it would be rather easy to get me poisoned for ratting you out?”
“Oh, yes. But don’t worry about it, I’m only sharing the information so that you don’t start suspecting your landlady of dubious practices and try to interfere under some misguided assumptions. If you’re staying across from me, I am sure you will have the urge to peek,” grins Qilin impishly. “Anyway, if you don’t interfere with my purpose here, I won’t interfere with yours. You just want to compete, right? Let me know and I won’t do a little test on the person you’re up against… or perhaps I will, if you’re looking for that little edge.” She winks at you, though you just sigh.
“I hope you know what you’re doing,” you say, scratching your head. “It would be rather bad luck if you miscalculated your work…”
Qilin scowls at you. “Don’t jinx it. I’m being very careful with the dosage already.”
After an exchange of insults, the conversation veers into skills and the two of you end up spending a bit more time exchanging pointers – she can be charming enough as it is, but you have the advantage in noble etiquette, while you are a good sneak in deserted areas, but require more knowledge about how to blend into a crowd and make your way around the packed structures of a city.
***
The registration for the tournament begins the next day. Surprisingly, your sleep was uninterrupted by any snakes, spiders, scorpions, centipedes or toads. You leave early, without encountering Qilin. Making your way to the registration area, you see that it is already crowded with young pugilists and their caretakers. The age of contestants seems to range from about fourteen to twenty. With your dyed hair you could almost pass for your age; without it you would probably look just shy of twenty.
“Young Master Guan! What a pleasure to see you here!” shouts out a monk as he hurries over. He bows at you with his palms placed together and you return the gesture. The monk is Xuzhan; you had helped him and his friends exit the maze of brothels and gambling dens yesterday. “I didn’t know you were participating!”
“Perhaps. I am not sure if I will. My meagre skill at martial arts managed to win a crest, and convince my father to let me come, but looking at the level of competition here I am afraid I will not be able to get anywhere,” you say nervously. In truth, what you have seen so far does not impress you one bit. The monk smiles and nods. “Yes, it is a rather tough crowd this year. They are saying this will be the most tightly fought competition in ages. We have the disciple of the Sword Saint Shangguan Chuji, the Twin Flowers of Huashan and Taishan’s Seven Heroic Youths, amongst so many other notable contestants!”
You give him a bemused stare. “My friend, you seem rather knowledgeable and excited about this for a monk. I thought you were not to be concerned with secular affairs?”
Xuzhan blushes slightly, stammering. “W-well, I happen to be very interested in matters of the jianghu. Keep it a secret from my superiors, Young Master Guan. But how can one walk the path of a pugilist and not take an interest in who are the best fighters?”
“I suppose you know who are the best fighters, then?” you ask leadingly.
Xuzhan begins racking his head. “Well, there is some dispute as to which pugilists are the best. Ask ten different people and you will get ten different answers, but I think everyone here will have their own opinion on who is the best. It is common knowledge. But of course, you wouldn’t know, Young Master Guan. Sorry. I forget that you are rather new to all this.” He bows deeply in apology, hoping that he hasn’t caused you offense.
“That is alright. I would love to learn more about the front-runners, if you will be so gracious as to share with me what you know.”
Xuzhan proves to be rather talkative. Soon he drags in some of his Shaolin friends, who in turn drag in friends from other sects, and they begin debating who is the best and why. You stand aside quietly, listening to what they have to say.
By the end of it, you surmise that there are a few names to look out for at the competition, young pugilists who have made their names by performing great deeds despite their youth.
Taishan’s Seven Heroic Youths, said to be the best young fighters of the school. You do not remember their names, as they tend to be referred to as a group. Even the monks do not recall their names.
The Twin Flowers of Huashan; Nie Mudan and Nie Shuixian, who are adopted daughters of the sect leader Nie Wuxing.
Murong Yandi, the disciple of the man said to be the best swordsman in the world, Shangguan Chuji.
Su Liaojing of Kunlun, a youth that is said to have the potential to become the next head of the sect.
The Three Brothers of Wudang, Wu Jin, Wu Yin and Wu Tong, are seen as a major force in the competition.
Of Emei, they think the nun Yiling will prove to be an obstacle – she had a close run for champion the last year. When the conversation turns to Shaolin, Xuzhan says embarrassedly that he is considered one of the front-runners for his temple, along with his brothers-in-monkhood, Xuzheng and Xuzhu.
The Beggars have sent a few representatives, but there does not seem to be any fighters of renown amongst them.
There are a few other strange competitors, including someone in a tiger’s mask who put himself down as Nameless, but no one expects anything from these weirdos – they appear every year and disappear just as quickly.
From the hectic discussion, you also gather that they would treat all of the competitors just named as more or less equals in the pugilistic arts, though arguments can be made for each competitor for superiority in certain aspects. This year is also seen as a tight competition for another reason. For the past seven years, the tournament has been dominated by Bai Jiutian of Huashan – a peerless, elegant pugilist whose skill has brought him victory match after match. This year he is ineligible to participate due to his age, though he is still widely considered the best pugilist of your generation.
“Then,” Xuzhan begins with a hushed whisper, “they say that the Southern Maniac’s disciple is participating this year. No one knows who he is, or if he is even here, but everyone is nervous.”
“How do you know he’s participating?” you ask. Abbess Miecao hadn’t known of the invitation.
“It’s just some rumours circulating amongst us young people. I’m not sure where it started, but everyone believes it by now. They say he was sent a special invitation to come and showcase his prowess.”
“Do you believe it?”
“Maybe. I mean, people are already pointing at newcomers as possibly being the Young Maniac in disguise, since he hasn’t revealed himself. Of course, you can’t be him, right, Young Master Guan?” He chuckles nervously.
“Do I look like a maniac?” you laugh, expressing your mock offense.
“No, of course you aren’t. You don’t look the part at all, Young Master Guan,” says Xuzhan. “But there is one person who does.” His voice drops into an even lower whisper. The other monks and pugilists nod amongst themselves nervously, as if they know who he is talking about.
“We think he is it. That boy over there.” Xuzhan points towards a hulking figure sitting alone in the center of the registration hall. His fists are callused and his muscular build is intimidating. A girl in peasant dress is sitting by him. Every other competitor is giving him a wide berth, reminding you of the time you met Zhang Jue himself. Even from here, however, you can tell that the large boy is nothing like Master Zhang. He lacks that sharp, menacing aura that emanates from the man as easily as he breathes – the same aura that Master Zhang says you already possess, should you decide not to hide it. He is not a killer. Perhaps it takes one to recognize one – you doubt most of the youths in this hall have ever killed another person, let alone ten or a hundred.
“Who is he?” you ask quietly.
“Well, no one dares to get close enough to find out, just in case he turns out to be the real thing. I mean, it’s not much consolation for the sects to punish him if you’re already dead,” says Xuzhan, still nervous. “But I think he registered his name as Guo Fu. I’m not sure if that’s his real name, but it could be.”
“I’m sure he’s not that bad,” you say cheerily. As you get up and walk over, the young pugilists look at you in horror.
“Someone pull him back! Hey!”
“You do it!”
“Ah, this is why I hate newbies who don’t know a thing about the pugilistic world!”
Some familiar shouts come from behind you as you approach the boy. Up close, you can see he is perhaps a year or two older than you. He is tall, probably as tall as Master Zhang, even at his age, and well built. You don’t doubt that he could lift an ox.
“Hello,” you say politely, with your best charming smile. “My name is Guan Shide. I am a humble merchant’s son, and I was wondering if I could talk to you for a second?”
The boy turns to look at you. You can see the wheels turning in his head as he ponders your sudden appearance. Then, he nods, smiling faintly. “Of course. I think I would like nothing better.” The girl by his side, a mousy-looking peasant, jabs him. “Manners, Fu! Introduce yourself.” She turns to you and bows. “My name is Pu’er. This is my husband, Guo Fu. Why do we have the pleasure of your presence?”
You sit down besides the couple. “I am just a humble merchant’s son, as I said. Your husband’s dignified presence drew my curiosity. By the way, you are married?”
Guo Fu smiles as he places a large hand on his wife’s shoulder as she blushes. “Yes, for a few months now. We were betrothed from birth.” Pu’er nods and continues her husband’s statement. “There were some circumstances that stopped us from getting married earlier.”
“Congratulations to the both of you!” you say earnestly. “I wish you matrimonial bliss even unto your white-haired days.” The two blush deeply as they thank you in return, their hands tightly held together. It is something you have never experienced, you muse, and for just an instant you feel slightly envious. Then, you continue, “So, Young Master Guo, what brings you here to the tournament? Should you not be working to support your pretty new wife?”
The boy’s wide face settles into a frown. “That is a long story, sir. I cannot give you the full details, but I was once a farmer’s child. We lost our land. My parents died. I wandered around and only found Pu’er again recently. But these days it is hard for an orphan to find land of his own to work. So I decided to join a school where they could take me on as an apprentice to do odd jobs, while Pu’er could work as a maid. But again it is hard, they didn’t even talk to me most of the time. I heard of the tournament and decided to join. I thought if I fought hard enough here they would notice me. I mean, if I am a member of a school, I will be more liked, and Pu’er could be more safe.”
As he finishes his tale in halting sentences, you listen intently, nodding. He could make his way with just physical labour, but you understand why he doesn’t, even if he does not say it out loud. In terms of short-term results it may not be much different, but in terms of a long-term career, it is a rather significant difference. This is his dream – not to work long hours hauling cargo while his wife washes dishes at a nearby restaurant, but to eventually become a respected pugilist so that he may protect her, and she may be proud of him. Of course, looking at her gaze, you can tell that she is already proud to be his wife.
You nod and pat him on the shoulder. “You are a remarkable man, Guo Fu. I could only wish that I had even half of your drive and responsible nature.”
“Thank you,” he rumbles. “This is the first time anyone has spoken to us since we came here. For some reason, everyone is afraid of us. I do not know why. You are a kind man, Master Guan. I am happy that I met at least one kind man here.”
Smiling at Guo Fu and Pu’er, you bow and take your leave; being labelled as the disciple of Zhang Jue will probably bring him trouble later on, but it is not really any business of yours, is it? At any rate, it is time for you to register in the tournament.
***
A. You register publicly as Zhang Jue’s apprentice. People may or may not believe you, but doing so will definitely send an uproar throughout the entire competition.
B. You register as Guan Shide, humble merchant’s son. You believe you can still keep up the act even if you are competing.
C. You run out and try to purchase a mask, but you find that the tiger and wolf masks are all gone. All that is left is a pig’s mask. You register under the pseudonym:
Pick one-
Wild Pig
Beautiful Pig
Tiger Pig
Man Tiger Pig
Dancing Pig
Zhang Jue
Rong Zhiyu
Nameless the Second
Shu Ji
***
Once rumours begin, they are almost impossible to stop – people are convinced that the Southern Maniac’s apprentice is here. However, they can be easy to encourage. You could try to incite more people to believe that Guo Fu is the Southern Maniac’s apprentice, to draw attention away from you.
1. You inflame the rumours, pretending to be terrified by your brief encounter with him and spreading word that Guo Fu is truly the Maniac’s disciple.
2. You do not do anything about the rumours. Your method of registration will have the desired effect by itself.
